Morris' son Eric (called Ricky) has delighted the family with his talent for barbecuing. His wife and kids had been able to keep his mastery of the grill a secret until recently when he was asked to help cook at a large family gathering.

The question of the day was, "Boy Ricky, how do you get it so juicy, tasty and tender?" Since that event Ricky has been officially appointed family grill master. His secret is patience. Bring the barbecue up to about 400 to 450-degrees Fahrenheit, sear the chosen dish on both sides (a minute or two on each side), turn down the heat way down and cook slowly to the desired degree.

Ricky now is teaching everyone in our family the fine art of barbecuing. After years of scorching hamburgers, splitting hot dogs and destroying such delicacies as fish and veggies, we have learned that patience is a virtue when grilling. That and not getting distracted.

Another trick that Ricky taught us: do not put the barbecue sauce on until the food is almost cooked, wait till the last minute. Brush it on, let it get warm, and then quickly remove your meal from the grill.

Before, our ritual was to burn the food and the sauce and then spend 15 minutes or more cleaning the grill. When properly cooked, barbecued food doesn't mess up the grill nearly as much.

Here's what we used to do: When the mess was really bad, we would close the top and turn the burners to high for about 15 minutes. The super heating process completely charred all the greasy remains. After burning everything to a crisp the barbecue was allowed to cool. At that point a simple wire brushing easily removed any last remnants. Although this technique worked faster with a piece of tin foil over the grill it was still a lengthy process.

After years of wire-brushing drudgery we learned an easier way. It involves water. Step one involves getting the grill hot. With or without foil - your choice. The foil does help. But it must be closely watched. Higher heat can damage your equipment. A wire brush still is needed, but the difference with our second method is that the brush gets dipped in water. The wet brush is quickly swiped onto and across the grates. As the water touches the hot surface it instantly turns to a gas and "steam-cleans" the area. We like to use a two-inch square brush on a long handle. The square brush end is small enough to dip into a small bowl of water, and the long handle prevents hair loss on hands and arms while stroking the grates. Although a wire brush is used to apply the water, using it as a scrubber really isn't required. The water does all the work. You simply won't believe how well this technique works until you've tried it.

The tricks we described won't work on rust. A wire wheel on an electric drill is ideal for rust removal. However, an electric wire wheel might be overkill in situations where spots are hard to get to, or where rust is minimal. A tiny electric motor turns at an extremely high rate of speed making the tiny brass-and-steel brush attachments effective as rust eliminators.

Once your grill is clean use a clean cloth to apply a light coat of cooking oil. The oil will help to prevent rust, and food will be less prone to stick. Never paint a cooking surface. The ensuing meal will not only taste like wallpaper paste, it might be poisonous, as well.

For general cleaning, when everything has cooled off, apply a mild soap and water mixture to your barbecue in the same way you would wash your car. And remember, be sure to rinse all soap completely away, and hand-dry with a soft cloth to prevent water marks.

Finally, remember what we learned from Ricky: Start with a clean, oiled grill on high. Sear both sides to hold in juices, and turn down the heat. Add barbecue sauce after your food is cooked, and when it's heated, sit down for dinner. The grill will be a breeze to clean, your meal will be juicier and your family will consider you a quite the cook.